Pneumatic water craft



June 17, 1930. 1. F. BOYLE ET AL PNEUMTIC WATER CRAFT Filed July 19. 1929 4' INVENTORS ai fg? w Patented June 17, 193() UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE JAMES n. BOYLE, on yNnw HAVEN,V CONNECTICUT, AND ADRIANv VAN MUFFLING, on Nnw Yonx, N. Y., AssreNons To Ara cnn-isses, ING., on New YORK, N. Y., A

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE .PNEUMATIC WATER ,CRAFT Application filed `Tuly 19,

This invention relates to pneumatic or collapsible gasdnfi atable boats,life-rafts and f similar floatation apparatus and is more particularly directed to the provision ofl 5 means for supporting oars, paddles or other propelling elements.

At present, in boats or other apparatus Composed of rubber or rubberized fabric, which are adapted to be inflated for use by the introduction of air orother gasto suitabley chambers or cells embodied therein,no

satisfactory provision is made for the '-use of oars, paddles or other propelling` devices therewith. A common expedient-is to employ a rope loop as an oarlock, the rope being secured to the wall or side of the boat or the like, by means of a fabric patch cemented thereto. -At best, this is more 'or lessof a makeshift arrangement. Apart from ythe rapid wear of the rope in normal use, the attaching means and the loop itf self frequently fail under Athe strains to which they are subjected by the manipulation of the oars in a heavy sea. Further, inthe use of a rope loop, asl described, an oar must be inserted therein from its grip end. Obviously, this is objectionable in shipping and unshipping oars, especially under emergency conditions, when the `requiredhandling of the oar in order to locate it withinthe loop might result in its yloss.

It-has been proposed to provide sockets or bearing members for oar-locks of the regulation type supported outboard, but these present difficulties in mounting, and in the folding and stowage of the boat which makev their use impractical. l

4Therefore it is the general object of" this invention to provide a simple, practical and eiiicient means for supporting an oar, paddle or other propellinginstrument from the wall or vside of a pneumatic boat, raft or the like. j

More specifically, it is the object of our invention to provide means whereby an oarlock of the conventional design, or other support for a propelling instrument may ybe utilized in conjunction with the employment ,of a collapsible or gas iniiatable marine vehicle. l

1929. Serial No. '$79,393.

As valve fittings' are-essential for the iniiation and deflation of pneumatic water craft and such fittings are so embodied there? inas to virtually become yan integral part of their structure with all of the advantages flowing therefrom,`it is a further ob ject ofour vinvention to provide for the utilization of isuch ttings as supporting means for oar-locks and other instrumentalities of similar functions.

`Otherx-objects and, advantages flowing from the practicingjof this invention will doubtless become apparent as the description proceeds and'we .would have it understood that we reserve unto ourselves all rights to the full range of equivalents,'both in structure and in use, to which we may be entitled under thisinvention in its broadest aspect.

For the purpose of the present disclosure, we have elected to show and describe certain preferred embodiments of our invention. `Our invention, however, may take other forms without departing from the spirit and Ascope thereof as defined by the appended claims.v

In the accompanying. drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a fragment of the side wall of a pneumatic boat, in

which the present invention is incorporated. vFigure 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation in the line a-a' of Figure l.

Figure Sisva view, similar to Figure 2, of a modified form of the structure shown in Figures l and 2.

Figure l is a top plan view in line -b of Figure 3,`and f Figure 5 is a'detail of structure common to the forms of the invention shown in the preceding figures. l

Referring no w to the drawings in detail in which like characters of reference are employed to designate similar parts in the several views, 7 indicates a valve fitting of metal or other suitable material, which is usually annular in form and provided with a central bore, threaded at 8. At its upper end, the said fitting has a preferably integral circumferential fiange or extension 9, which, when thebody portion of said fitting i is located within a suitable aperture `put in Ace the wall l of the boat, bears upon the material surrounding such aperture and to which it is permanently attached by cementino.

A piece of rubber or similar material ll, or'V Vgreater diameter than said flange is super- .threaded into Ysaid fitting, an externally threaded plug or stopper being seated in said fitting when inflation has been completed. rThe valve fitting and the method of making it virtually an integral part of the boat structure as it depends within the wall structure or gas chamber are well known in the art. i j

ln the present invention, in lieu of the ordinary form of plug or stopper', we employ a valve sealing member which embodies an externally threaded` plug-or body portion l2 which has a preferably cylindrical dependent portion or stem lBiof a diameter to permit it to be inserted through the litt-ing 7 for seating the plug portion 12 in vthreaded engagement therewith, through the medium of the preferably integral finger grips or Wings lll. Y As will be observed, a central bore eX- tends from the top of said member to a point adjacent the lower end of the aforesaid dependent stem 13, the wall of said bore near its lower end being preferably provided with a circumferential groove 16.

The said bore l5 forms a socket for the reception of the stem 17 of an oar-lock of a conventional design, said stem, being periph'- erally grooved, as at` 18, adjacent its lower end to provide a seat for the annular spring 19, this spring being placed in compression as the stem of the oar-lock is inserted in the plug member and'expanding into the recess lf3 to retain the oar-lock in its socket, it being obvious that while the oar-lock is thereby held against longitudinal movement relative to the socket, it is free to rotateor revolve therein. Y Y

in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 3 and 4l, the wings 14: of the plug are dispensed with, said plug being threaded into sealing position by grasping the arms 20 of the oar-lock which is connectible to the plug for this operation. For making the required connection, so that the plug and the oar-lock may be rotated as a unit, We employ a pin 2l which is adapted to be seated in the vertical bore 22, located between the periphery of the plug l2 and itsV central bore l5, when the hole 23 in the enlarged base or bearing surface 24 of the oarlock is brought into Yregistration therewith.

1 The pin, which may embody an eye 25, is

ymovement Yrelative vrto the Vface or head of the plug.

preferably connected to the oar-lock by a chain 26 or other flexible means.

When the plug has been-threaded into sealing position in the fitting 7 the pin is withdrawn from the registering'l openings and the bearing surface or baseV 24 `of the plug is rendered capable of free rotary supporting surln lieu of the'interconnectionof the `*plug and the oar-lock by the pin 21,-the former may have a 4slot provided in its top in which a hub or radial pin or extension on the base of the oar-lock may enter to interlock the plug and loar-lock for the fitting sealing operation, the hub being disengagedfrom the slot by raising and simultaneously-rotating the oar-lock through a small arc. Thehub will then ride upon the remaining unbroken surface of the plug, the arcuate movement obtainable being ample to meetany range required by a rowing stroke. *Y l? here it may-be found to be desirable, the fitting? may embody a seat4 for a gasket or washer with whichfthe'base ofthe body portion of the sealing member may engage to form an hermetic joint. c 'j Manifestly, the sealing member may take other forms than shown and our invention may be practiced in conjunction with `fittings of different types, attached to the boat or other water craft in various Ways, it being understood,n of course, that those Valve fittings which are designed to function as receivers for the combination plug and oar-lock socket members will be proper.- ly located relative to the ends of the craft to admit of propulsion byfrowing in the.

usual manner.

Valve ttings may also beilocated in the stern or at one lend of a double-end craft which may receive a combination plug and connector for an outboard motor, or a special form of oar-lock for `a sweep Vor scull. Again, a socket member for anoar-lock may be incorporated in a boa-t structurejindependently of the valve fitting 7, in which event the head of the socket member, similarly to said fitting, will have a peripheral flange for attachment to the boat in the 3.. A sealing device for an air inlet ofan inflatable water craft, embodying avsocket forl the reception of a'device for supporting a propelling instrument for such craft and means for locating said sealing device in sealing position.

4. A sealing device for any air inlet of an inflatable water craft, embodying a body portion adapted for threaded engagement m with said inlet, said body portion having an axial extension and a bore disposed longitudinally of said body portion and said extension and terminating inwardly of the end of the latter to form a socket for the reception of a support for a propelling instrument for such craft.

5. A sealing device for an air inlet of an inflatable water craft, embodying a body portion adapted for threaded engagement with said inlet, said body portionV having an axial extension, a bore .extendingfrom the top of said body portion to a point above the lower end of said extension to form a socket for the reception of a support for a propelling instrument for such craftl and means projecting above the top surface of the body portion of said device whereby said device may be engaged with and disengaged from said inlet. 6. The combination with a sealing plug for an air inlet in a pneumatic Water craft of an oar-lock rotatably connected to said plug and means for retaining said oar," lock against longitudinal movement relative to said plug. l

7. A combination air passage seal and oarlock socket for pneumatic water craft, comprising a body portion adapted to function as a seal for said passage, an axial extension 4o dependent upon said body portion, a bore extending through said body portion and into said extension to `a point above the lower end thereof, said bore beingadapted to receive the stem of an oarlock, and means integral with said body portion for locating the same insealing position relative` to said passage. v

8. yA combination air passage seal and oarlock socket for pneumatic water craft, comso prising a body portion adapted to function as a seal for said passage,ran axiall extension dependent upon said body portion, a bore extending through said body portion, and into said extension to a point above the Vlower end thereof to an oar-lock having itsV stem disposed for'rotation within said bore and means detachably connectable to. said body portion and to said oar-lock to interlock said elements whereby they may be ro to tated relative to said passage as a unit, the disconnection of said body portion and said oar-lock permitting said oar-lock to be rotated relative to said body portion.

JAMES F. BOYLE. ADRIAN VAN MUFFLING. 

